We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Barbara Allen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Barbara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The other aspect does include “legacy” – the why is important, the change seen and impact of efforts has surprised me and keeps me motivated. Just this morning I reached out to our health department – they said “of course we respond to you immediately, you are you!” Never could I have foreseen the future at my son’s funeral.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Greetings, today I describe myself as a life long adventurer, learner and advocate. At the age of 75, please don’t ask me about retirement. I can’t imagine! Instead over time I have had a host of careers many of which have simply evolved based on what was happening, what I was learning, where I was seeking nourishment – mental, emotional, physical. With an education in organizational psych/management, grad programs in technical management and technical productivity, I’ve also taught yoga, researched medical solutions for a life changing disease. Certified as an executive coach, today it all comes together as I specialize in substance use disorders (SUD) and death.

As the executive director of James’ Place Inc. 15% of my time is invested in helping those transitioning from treatment or detention into recovery housing. The biggest part of my time (85%) is invested in advocating for ever widening solutions for those who suffer dual diagnosis of SUD and mental health. Within this realm I currently serve on 17 commissions, councils, advisory boards, committees and workgroups in the State of Maryland plus on at the federal level – Region 3 SAMSHA.

Why? My only surviving child, Jim, died in 2003 of SUD – specifically an overdose of heroin and alcohol. Jim was 35; had many good years and many horrible. I had already lost my brother, Bill. He suffered SUD and was killed by a peer also suffering SUD. Seven years later my niece, Amanda, died by suicide after treatment for her addiction to heroin. Subsequently my brother Tom died of an overdose of methamphetamines.

Today my mantra is: I don’t get paid so I can’t be fired. Therefore, it is my responsibility to say what needs saying, not what someone wants me to say. I’d hardly make it as a politician. This definitely sets me aside from others. I have invested years in learning so that what I end up saying is based on research, science, experience at many levels not the least of which is the many I’ve helped over the years.

My favorite work is helping men and women make the transition from treatment or detention into a recovery house. They share their stories, fears, traumas; I have come to know many treatment providers, 12- step program sponsors, police, EMS, parole/probation officers, recovery house managers and more. This full circle approach is the exception rather than the norm. Yet it keeps me learning, keeps my understanding of the issues on the streets, in the treatment world, in the world of recovery.

My most important work is pulling as many people to the table of solution building as possible. From that starting point, great collective learning can happen. Stigma can be shattered (one of our logos is Shatter the Stigma®) Stigma kills and it stems out of ignorance, pride and fear.
What do I want others to know? The more we know about our own biases/weaknesses the better we can grow and therefore support others in their growth. Arrogance out of ignorance and bias kills and does nothing to move the needle to hope and healing. Yes, there are many serious issues we all face. I’ve chosen the horrific epidemic of deaths to SUD/mental health disorders to invest my life skills, heart and compassion.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Coming back from a debilitating illness, I took on a graduate program in executive coaching where I was assigned restorative yoga. This turned out to be an amazing way not only to heal my own body and mind, but to integrate all the medical research done during my eight years of incapacitation. I found myself fascinated by anatomy/physiology; each student taught me of the power and variation of the human body.

Leaving judgement aside, I began to listen to students in a different way. Though I was the “teacher”, I was being taught in a dynamic, multidimensional way. Almost all profits were stashed away. I wasn’t sure how I’d use these funds; but I loved teaching. Then as I began doing the executive coaching I was being paid often large sums of fees – these, too, went into savings. Did I want to open my own yoga studio? No, too one dimensional. Then my son died.

Entering into bereavement, I expanded my yoga teaching and coaching. Often invited to do retreats for healing physical and emotional problems, my entire background was coming into focus. I’d run large profit centers in technical environments; I’d managed large numbers of staff. I’d traveled the globe. But I needed to “land”, to stay put and create something where I wasn’t on a plane. Immersing myself in grief, I read, talking to as many other bereaved families.

Ultimately meeting so many other families who buried loved ones to SUD/MH issues, I began researching these disorders. Quickly I realized how uneducated, misinformed I was. Invited to a gathering of the DEA, I was shocked and angered by the ignorance and lack of respect I was hearing from some. And, yet I was invited to serve on a program committee bringing information to Maryland. Mind expanding!

Diving into research yet again, ideas began forming on how this could be my next “job”. I invested my savings into educational programs, traveling to conferences, etc. One day I said this is it, “we are going to shatter the stigma of this disease and call it James’ Place in my son’s name!”. We learned about copyrights, got 5 “marks”. I took on getting IRS classification as a nonprofit – again research and writing. A student recommended an attorney; bereaved families were my test “pilots”. The funds were there and so was the deep knowing this was IT!

Make mistakes – of course! #1: I aimed too high at first. I didn’t understand how funding works. #2: I could not work with those still actively using substances. It was too painful.

But my background with 25+ years at corporate levels, there was nothing I couldn’t handle and the money was there to kick start James’ Place Inc.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience is a powerful word for me. When others say “you were born resilient”, I get angry. No. I learned that I am resilient by life that at times hit me hard.

With the death of my unborn daughter due to medical mistakes, my shaky marriage ended. This left me terrified of raising my son on my own and not trusting the medical profession. Soon enough my career kept expanding and I was offered opportunities to take care of us.

A few years later my job was threatened in a “coup” by the board of directors where I worked. Asked to compromise my personal ethics in order to oust a senior executive whom I respected, I was still vulnerable to the fear of supporting my son and I. We got no other financial support. After a few days of terror, I knew my path forward could result in a disaster for my career in not only Phoenix where I lived but in the industry. I chose integrity and the “coup” collapsed. In time I realized never should I have been placed in that situation. And yet, I came out stronger and more highly respected than I could have imagined.

The next test came in the form of PTSD. Settled into New Hampshire after a series of promotions I began having what I learned were flashbacks due to trauma mostly of my childhood years. In my mid-40’s, I chose to trust and collapse into treatment. I was beginning to accept how resilient I had become. Despite the trauma of treatment, I rebounded, was promoted yet again as I moved to Maryland. Just getting my feet under me, my health collapsed. Suffering from a compromised immune system, I was pretty much bed bound for the next eight years.

With little energy – mental or physical – and no support from family, I developed a support system of medical professionals, others with similar health issues and friends from church. This led to years of researching medical issues related to my health. Continuing with treatment for the scars of PTSD, I was learning how to think holistically – body, mind, spirit.

The grad program in executive coaching, restorative yoga was reaping rewards for my ability to function well when the deaths started happening. This has become my most impactful education in resilience ever. Today I manage a private Facebook page of over 6,000 parents and grandparents who’ve buried loved ones to SUD/MH and a second private FB page of 1,500 siblings who’ve lost their brothers and sisters to the same. Every day but Sunday I interact and hear repeatedly “I can’t go on; it never gets better.” And, yet for me, I had to find a way to keep going – to offer hope and healing even in the face of losing my son, two brothers and a niece. Who knows what life has in store for me in the coming years. However, I’ve some how found a path forward and assume this will continue to the end of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamesplaceinc.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/james.place.inc www.facebook.com/groups/tcflosstosubstancerelatedcauses

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